Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 5: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a review meeting of the Agriculture Production Department (APD) to assess the implementation and progress of various agricultural credit schemes being extended across the districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, APD, Dr. Ashish Chandra Verma; Managing Director, HADP; Directors of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture and Fisheries from both Jammu and Kashmir divisions, while Deputy Commissioners participated through video conferencing.
Reviewing the performance of different credit-linked schemes, the Chief Secretary emphasized the need for giving a major push to agricultural financing, observing that accessible and affordable credit remains the most effective means of unlocking the vast potential of the agriculture and allied sectors in Jammu and Kashmir.
He called upon the district administrations and banking institutions to pursue these schemes with greater ambition and commitment so that eligible farmers, entrepreneurs and producer groups are able to derive maximum benefit from them.
Highlighting the significance of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, Dulloo stressed the need for saturation of KCC coverage, timely renewal of existing accounts and prompt disbursement of repayment incentives to eligible farmers in accordance with the scheme guidelines.
He directed the concerned departments and banks to undertake extensive awareness campaigns regarding the incentives available under the scheme and the conditions required for availing them, enabling farmers to fully leverage the benefits of this credit scheme.
The Chief Secretary also called for expediting onboarding under the Unified Lending Interface (ULI) in areas where digitization of land records has been completed. He further directed the concerned authorities to ensure that these records remain updated in tandem with the ongoing generation of Farmer IDs across the districts.
Emphasizing the role of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in strengthening rural economies, Dulloo underscored the need for systematic capacity building of FPOs to make them credit-worthy and financially sustainable. He asked the department to designate mentors from among its trainers for handholding and guiding FPOs in enhancing their productivity and institutional capacities in line with banking requirements and credit norms.
The meeting also reviewed the performance of Agricultural Term Loans and the activities generating the highest demand among applicants. The Chief Secretary directed banks to provide granular activity-wise data regarding the sectors attracting maximum credit demand and explore the possibility of incorporating such activities under the Mission YUVA framework as well.
Speaking on the occasion, Additional Chief Secretary, APD, Dr. Ashish Chandra Verma presented a comprehensive overview of the agricultural credit ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir. He highlighted the uptake of various schemes among eligible beneficiaries, discussed the challenges being faced and outlined the roadmap for achieving the desired outcomes.
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